Somewhat Admirable
by Cha-Cha-Cheesecake
Summary: One day, Mac meets the only other come-back kid. And she's not just any kid - she also has a secret that she's eager to show him. Not the usual OC fic. Reviews welcomed :D - NOW MULTI-CHAPTER FIC.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hiya guys! It's Cha-Cha here :D Bringing you my first Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends fanfic! ^^**

**I miss the show so much ;A; But anyway, enough about me. Here's the fic ^_^**

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Foster's I could die without any regrets… but I don't. =(**

**XXX**

**Summary: One day, Mac meets the only other come-back kid. And she's not just any kid - she also has a secret that she's eager to show him. Not the usual OC fic. Reviews welcomed :D**

**Somewhat Admirable**

"This place hasn't changed a bit."

The large, gothic-style house looming above the treetops was exactly as it had been six years before - the same deep orange walls, the same large willow tree she'd spent hours climbing with her imaginary friend.

The girl stood before the house clasped her hands together and held them to her chin, her face holding anxiety.

"I hope he hasn't been adopted yet… Gah, I should've come back sooner!" She sighed and hugged herself, shivering. Her school skirt was just a tad too high for her liking - but her parents were insistent that she tried at this school, and tried hard. If that meant wearing the ridiculously short skirts from the regulation uniform, so be it. Much as she hated it, she knew her parents were right; after all the crappy schools she'd attended in the past, she was determined to give it a chance, even if wearing the stupidly revealing uniform was a part of the deal.

"Harry… Please still be there…" Emily Carter took a step towards Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, shaking all over - then stopped as she heard frantic voices approaching.

"Hey, Bloo, you're going too fast!"

"Shut up, I'm on fire!"

"You're gonna fall off!"

Emily turned around - and was knocked down by a blur of blue and a skateboard.

"Ouch…!" She tried to sit up, groaned, and flopped back down again, scrunching her eyes up.

"…I think I killed her."

"What? _Bloo_! This is _terrible_!"

"Re-_lax_, Mac. She's a babe, she'll forgive us. And besides - she's _blonde_."

"What does _that_ have to do with anything?"

"Well, blondes are supposedly _dumb_, right? If we fool her, she'll never know."

"Shut up, you shrimp," Emily growled, sitting up. She opened her eyes to see a little blue blob jump back, hiding behind a kid in a red T-shirt.

"Yikes, the blonde's got attitude!" She glared at the two, before standing up and brushing herself down. She winced as she bent over - she could already feel a bruise snaking down her back.

"You little creeps should apologise, you know," she grumbled, rubbing the back of her head. "I mean, do you two normally knock people down while riding skateboards and then run off?"

The kid looked guilty, while his imaginary friend merely looked pissed.

"Um, we're sorry," the child said. "C-Can you forgive us?" She nodded, folding her arms.

"Well, I can forgive you, kiddo. You're sweet. Him, on the other hand…" She leaned sideways and threw a questioning glance at Bloo. "Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean I'm an idiot; that's a dumb stereo-type and shouldn't be lumped in with every blonde you meet! How do you know it's even my natural hair colour?"

"What's a stereo-type?" Bloo asked his creator, confused. "Besides, if you're not stupid, why would you dye your hair blonde? It doesn't make any sense."

"Okay, _first_, little guy, a stereo-type is when you assume that someone acts a certain way because of how they look. It's not cool and you shouldn't just go around jumping to conclusions like a frog on a lily-pad." The imaginary friend merely looked perplexed.

"That's the creepiest example I've ever heard."

"And _second_," she said, ignoring Bloo's comment, "Blonde is a stereo-type, so you shouldn't think that just because my hair's blonde I'm a dumbass. Because I'm not. Got that?"

"Um… I'm sorry that we've been so rude," the boy said, his face burning. "Um, would you like us to walk you home because you're hurt?"

"No, I'm all right. I'm actually heading somewhere else."

"Really? Where?" The imaginary friend asked excitedly.

"Well, I was heading over to Foster's, obviously." Emily blew up at her fringe, frustrated. "But then two little weirdos kind of pushed me over."

"How old are you?" Bloo questioned, excited. "I've never met a lady like you before! You look like you're still in school, but… you're so _old_." She tilted her head back, frustrated.

"You kids really don't have any manners, do you? Don't you guys know it's rude to ask a lady her age?"

"W-We're sorry!" Mac blushed, throwing Bloo a warning glance. "S-So, um, you were saying you were heading to Foster's?"

"Yes, I'm here to see my old imaginary friend. If you'll excuse me…"

"B-But you don't understand! We're heading back there too!" Emily blinked and peered at the two, as if she was only seeing them for the first time."Does your friend live here?" She asked Mac. He nodded.

"Y-Yeah, Bloo lives there. And, well, I stay there too, sometimes." She stared.

"Are you another one of Madame Foster's grandkids?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No, I'm not… But I come to visit Foster's every day." Her eyes widened, and her mouth stretched into a huge grin.

"No kidding! You're a come-back kid, too?"

"Too? You mean my Mac has been… copied?" Bloo stretched his arms out dramatically.

"I believe I was the original," she said, pulling a face. "Anyway, if you guys are coming, keep up with me. I've done enough hanging around today."

"Er, yeah," Mac said quickly, the two hurrying after her with their skateboard. "S-So… What's your name?"

"I'm Emily Carter… I go to the high school nearby. How about you and your friend, kid?"

"I'm Mac, and he's Bloo," he explained. "…So… What's your friend like?" She let a smile wash over her face.

"You might not have seen him around - he's not exactly the most noticeable."

"Oh? Is he a small friend then?" Mac asked eagerly. She shook her head.

"Nu-uh. He's quite tall, really. But you guys wouldn't really tell him apart, to be honest. He's also not really into fun and games like you kids are. He's cool, and smart, and everything that I could ever dream of!" Her cheeks flushed with pride. "I love him."

"That's the same with me and Bloo… We're everything the other could hope for." Mac felt good talking to someone who felt the same way as he did towards his imaginary friend. It was a warm feeling - that someone understood how it felt to hold such a strong bond.

"Uh huh. Well, you and Bloo are completely different to me and Harry. The bond we share is just as great - but in a completely unique way." A small smile crossed her face.

"We're home!" Bloo called, opening the door. Emily entered, staring round with wide eyes. Everything was exactly as it was five years ago - the odd friend wandering around downstairs, a few passing each other on the staircases.

"Does Frankie still live here?" Emily asked, a small smile on her face. Mac nodded.

"Uh-huh. She works here now, as a caretaker."

"I thought she would. When I used to come here, she just looked out for the other friends and made sure everyone was having fun, as well as taking care of a few chores here and there when Mr Herriman got too frazzled." Emily sighed. "It feels like a lifetime since I last came here."

"I didn't know that someone else used to visit their friend the way I visit Bloo," Mac said, staring up at the girl. She seemed so glamorous, with her honey-blonde hair and dark eyes - but something seemed different about her, something dull and bored and hurt. He'd never met anyone like this girl - it seemed like there was a whole lot of crap weighing her down, but she didn't seem frustrated and cruel like Terrence had always been. She just seemed sad, distant… worn-out.

"We're home!" Bloo called as they entered the house. "We bought an old lady with us too!"

"Who are you calling old, you little shrimp?" growled Emily. "I oughta teach you some manners, punk."

"Welcome back, Mac, Bloo," Wilt said from the top of the staircase.

"Wilt!" Wilt's eyes widened and he bounded down the stairs.

"Hey, Emily… is that _you_?" He stared at her, taking in the appearance of the small girl he used to play with. She nodded, before giving him a hug.

"Uh huh! I've really missed you!"

"But… Why haven't you been back sooner?" Wilt looked confused. "I mean… it's been six years."

"I-I know," she gabbled, anxious-eyed. "But, um, you see, the thing is… Well, we moved away, remember? I really wanted to come back and see you guys but since we moved to Ohio it was too far to travel, and… Well, we recently moved back here but it's been tough settling in, so… Well, now is the only chance I've had since I arrived back here to come to Foster's and see you guys."

"I see… I'm sorry I asked. It's just, Harry's really missed you, you know?" Her face brightened.

"He's still here? He hasn't been adopted?" Wilt shook his head.

"He's been called to the office on a few occasions - but he was sent back to his room every time."

"That must've been really hard on him…" Her eyes filled up with tears. "I mean… he must've been lonely enough once I left without _other_ people rejecting him…" Wilt hushed her and gave her a hug.

"Emily, please don't cry! I'm sorry, I really am, I never should've said anything-"

"Stupid Wilt," she mumbled, wiping her eyes. "It's not your fault, okay?"

"A-Are you alright?" Mac asked nervously. She nodded, sniffing.

"Are the others here?" she asked. "Eduardo and Coco… They haven't been adopted too, have they?" Wilt shook his head.

"Nope. They're in the main room at the moment." He turned his head to the doorway. "Eduardo! Coco! Emily's here!"

"Co-co-co-co-_co_-co?" Coco's voice came in reply.

"No, I'm not kidding! Emily really is here!"

"AHH, SENORITA!" Eduardo's voice erupted from the room and in a flash he was rocking her backwards and forwards, with Emily giggling hysterically. Coco followed, making excited sounds.

"Great to see you too, Eduardo!" she giggled.

"Ahh, _Mi Cereza, Mi Cereza_!" His cheeks were flushed pink with excitement. "Ohh, we have missed you so muuuch!"

"I've missed you guys too," she laughed as he put her down. "Oh, you don't know how great it is to see you!" She embraced Coco tightly.

"How come you guys never told us about Emily?" Mac asked. Wilt shrugged, unsure of what to say.

"Well, I guess… there was never really the chance. I suppose we were going to tell you when you agreed to be a come-back kid for Bloo. But Mr Herriman…"

"Never gave you guys the chance cause he was too frazzled over all the paperwork," Emily finished. "I'm not surprised. He had a habit of not letting anyone get a word in edgeways."

She looked around eagerly. "So, where's Harry?" She asked, perky and excited. "I can't wait to see him!"

"U-Uh, Emily, let me get him for you," Wilt offered. "Since I know where his room is, and everything…"

"Really? Thanks!" She watched him as he sauntered upstairs.

"Co-co-co-_co_-co-co-co-co!" Coco exclaimed. Emily hugged her again, caressing Coco's feathers.

"I never could understand what you were saying…" She let out a heavy sigh, placing a simple smile on her face. "But I know whatever you're saying, you're saying something kind. Because you've always been kind to me, Coco."

"Co-co-co…"

Mac and Bloo watched intently, wide-eyed. They'd never seen anyone treat Coco so tenderly before, nor had they seen Coco look so sincere.

"Emily! Harry's here!" She turned around, looking so happy Mac was expecting fireworks to shoot from her ears and explode into colourful showers. He looked up and saw… a normal kid, the same age as Emily, with dark, wild hair half-hidden by a soft green hat and deep green eyes that were wide with amazement as they set on the eyes of their creator.

"Huh? That's Harry?" She nodded, tears springing to her eyes once more.

"Uh huh! Harry!" She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him. His face flushed pink as ever but he returned her embrace, caressing her hair and breathing in her scent.

"Em… Em, it's been ages!" His face stretched into a grin as tears began to roll down his cheeks. "Six years! It's been six years since you last hugged me!"

"I know!" She pulled away, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry it's been so long, but… well, since I moved and everything… I've recently moved back into the neighbourhood, that's how I got here. I'm so, _so_ sorry that I've stayed away for so long!"

He reached out and wiped her tears away, then leaned in and placed a simple kiss on her cheek.

Mac and Bloo gaped.

"Wh-What's going on?" They gasped. "I-I mean, you guys are creator and friend, right? Why did you just _kiss_?"

"B-Because we're in love," giggled Emily, wrapping her arms round Harry's neck. "I told you our relationship was different. It's why I'm a come-back kid, Mac. It's because I'm in love with Harry, and Harry's in love with me. We're the closest to each other… I've waited for all these years to come back and see him again! I haven't looked twice at another boy, because I know that I love Harry with all my heart and Harry loves me too."

Wilt, Eduardo and Coco looked on, unfazed.

"Emily stopped coming here when she was eleven," Wilt explained. "But by then, they were in love - they couldn't help it. Her parents found out and were horrified, so - well, they decided moving away was the best option for Emily. Plus her parents come from a heavy scene, so… Lets just say, they forgot about the reason they moved away soon enough."

"What do you mean, heavy scene?" Mac asked.

"My parents are druggies," Emily said matter-of-factly. "Bluntly put, they're a mess. They couldn't see how much me and Harry loved each other, so they separated us and wandered further down that path. They split a while ago, so my father and I moved back here just to spite my mother." She sighed. "Not that I care, anyway - they're both just as bad as the other. But I sided with my father because, well, I'd get to see you again, right Harry?" He nodded numbly. A smile crossed her face."Hey! Why are you wearing that hat, anyway? Afraid your ears might show?" She tugged on it.

"Wait, no! Stop! Em, please, don't pull on it!"

"Aww, but why? You look so cute~!"

In a flash his hat was yanked off, and Mac and Bloo's eyes widened in shock.

Harry stood there, red-faced and glaring, with cat ears twitching irritably.

"Haha! Dude, what's up with your ears?" Bloo cackled. Mac elbowed him, flushing."Shut up!" He hissed. "You're embarrassing him!"

"Well, what did you expect?" Harry snapped. "It takes a lot of skill and concentration to create an imaginary friend that replicates a human being to the last point. The best that Emily could do for me was make me a human guy with cat ears… Lucky for me, I can hide them with my hat. _Mostly_." He groaned and turned to Emily, who was twisting that hat on her index finger. "Why did you take my hat off, Em?" He whined.

"Because I think your cat ears are adorable!" She sighed, giving him a hug. "Honestly, they're cute and perky and loveable… they add charm to you, Harry! You should be proud to show them off!"

"I used to," he said, a hollow sadness filling his voice. "But when you left, I put on that hat and never took it off in front of people. I didn't want them _seeing _me like that! It would remind them that you left!" He sounded devastated when he said that.

"Harry!" Emily threw her arms around him, frightened tears springing to her eyes. "I didn't leave by _choice_, you idiot! I wanted to stay with you _forever_! Please…" Her voice wobbled. "Please don't think that…"

"I can't help it, Em… I really missed you, you know?" He frowned, pulling away. "Why didn't you write a letter?"

"You know I have really bad dyslexia," Emily said, shrugging. "And I didn't want you reading a letter that was all screwed up. I don't want you to think I'm dumb, you know? And it's not like my parents were very understanding - if I asked, they wouldn't exactly offer help." She pulled a face. "But I'm sorry that I didn't write. I know that I should've."

"It's okay." He smiled wearily. "The important thing is that you're back now, right?"

"So, how old were you when you created Harry?" Mac asked eagerly. Emily tapped her chin.

"Hmm… I was about five, I think. So that makes you - eleven!" She wrapped her arms around his neck."Aha! I figured it out! You're… seventeen!" Bloo pointed his appendage at her in triumph.

"Hey, you little runt, why are you interested in my age, anyway? Is this another crack about me being old?"

Wilt grinned sheepishly and beckoned the others.

"Uh, well, we'll all go and… A-And help Frankie out. Is that okay?" Bloo scowled but Mac quickly nudged him. The others seemed to get the message and followed Wilt as he led them away.

"We should give them some time alone," Mac whispered as Bloo sulked. "It's their moment that they can be together. The least we can do is give them that."

Muttering, Bloo reluctantly followed Mac, leaving Harry and Emily alone.

"So…" Emily laughed sheepishly. "Ah, I feel like such a dork. Now that we're finally by ourselves I don't have a clue what to say to you." Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment.

"Y-Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, face flushed. They turned to each other.

"Uh, Emily, I-"

"No. Lemme speak first." She drew a finger to his lips and exhaled heavily.

"H-Harry… I'm seventeen now. And… And, now that I'm old enough, I'm going to go to Mr Herriman and ask him for a job." His eyes widened in surprise.

"You are?" She nodded, determinedly.

"Of course! I need money, and I need to be with you. By doing that, I'll be fulfilling everything I want to do. When I have enough money, I'll buy a place, away from my parents. Then, I'll have freedom, to do anything that I want to, and I'll come and visit you every day. I'll hold down a load of different part-time jobs - summer jobs, weekend jobs, weekday jobs… I'll do whatever I have to, to map out my life so far. Because I wanna be with you, and everybody else, Harry." She smiled, face pink, and began to laugh nervously. "Y-You probably think I'm just talking big…"

"Nope. I think what you're doing is… brilliant! Em, you're amazing!" She blinked.

"Y-You think so? It's only an idea… a serious one, perhaps, but still just an idea at the moment. No need to sound so shocked." She giggled.

"N-uh. You're somewhat admirable, Emily Carter." Her face flushed as she watched his eyes. They were serious and staring right at her, seriously, smoothly. Her face stretched into a huge grin.

"Thanks, Harry!" She gave him a quick hug, before pulling away.

"I'm gonna go and talk to Mr Herriman now about that part-time jo-"

"Wait."

Harry reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it and slipping something into it. She shivered. It was cold and hard and really small.

Clasping it, her eyes widened as she pulled out a small silver ring.

"I know it's a bit soon, but…"

"You don't have to say it," she whispered.

"Well…?"

"I don't have to either, do I?" She replied. She gave him a quick kiss on the nose. "I've mapped out my life already. And you're definitely a part of it."

He smiled, fat, salty tears rolling down his cheeks. It felt like a huge weight had been taken off of him, and for that he was both relieved and immensely grateful to Emily.

Holding her hand, the two stood outside on the porch, watching the outside world rush by. The sky was a pale blue, sketchy clouds drifting through.

_The sky's our map, _Harry decided, a smile playing on his lips. _It's going to lead Emily and I to the places we want to go to._

_Our future._

**A/N: Ahaha, so this is finally done ;) Happiness! Please review and tell me what you think ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, guys! I'm back again for another instalment of Somewhat Admirable! :D Yah, so, thanks to CheeseVision for giving me some wonderful ideas regarding Emily and Harry's relationship, and the kind of hardships they'll face. Both you and rmay requested a second chapter, so here it is (: It probably won't be as good as the first chapter cause it was originally supposed to be a oneshot. But still, I hope you enjoy.**

**Thanks to Potatoes4Eva, rmay, CheeseVision, Zutarafan14 and InvaderXJadeXUchiha for your lovely reviews :'3**

**Oh, one last thing! I don't know if anybody really knew (or cared), but I'm not a self-insert kinda gal. So Emily isn't actually me, and she doesn't act the way I would (she's too happy and cheerful - most of the time. Plus she's a total crybaby). Soooo wish that somebody as nice as Harry existed in my life, though… *wistful***

Summary (as of now): Emily and Harry are together after six years of being apart. Now that they're planning their new lives together, can other people's feelings get in the way of their own?

**Somewhat Admirable Part 2**

**Settling in**

"Good morning, everybody!" Emily Carter said cheerfully, unlocking the front door to Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends. It was a bright Saturday morning, and Emily was grateful - summer vacation had just began, and she was looking forward to a summer of hard work; and, of course, more time with Harry.

She'd been without him the last six years. She reminded herself that she needed to catch up with him plenty more than she had since she arrived.

"Good morning, Emily." Emily looked up and smiled as she saw a tall red imaginary friend stood before her.

"Hey there, Wilt," she grinned. "It's beautiful out today, isn't it?""Uh huh! I think me and Eduardo were going to do a grocery run and then go outside to the courts later," he said.

"Brilliant! Thanks. If you guys take care of the groceries that'll leave me with more time to attend to everybody else," she said. She fiddled with a piece of string tying her hair back nervously. "Do you… D'you think I'm doing a good job?" She asked.

"Totally! You're doing a brilliant job, Emily, don't you worry, okay?" Wilt said eagerly, flashing her an easy-going smile. "Now, hadn't you be going?"

"Y-Yes," she said. "Thanks. And, uh, do you know if Harry's up yet?""Um, well, he never was a morning riser," Wilt said apologetically. "No, I'm afraid not."

"Okay. That's kinda all right. I still have to get a lot done, anyway."

"I'll see you around then, Emily!" Wilt left the hallway.

She headed up the stairs to Mr Herriman's office, whistling breezily. As she knocked on his door, she tilted her head to the side. Strange. Mr Herriman usually answered as soon as she did so much as brush by it.

"Miss Carter!"

"Ahh!" She jumped, heart hammering. She turned around, where the rabbit was briskly waiting for her to recover. "Jeez, Mr Herriman… You scared me!"

"You were absent from your duties yesterday. I expect you'll work twice as hard to redeem yourself," he said. She hung her head.

"Y-Yeah, about that… Um, I'm sorry, Mr Herriman, but I had to look after my father…"

"Is the man gravely ill?" he asked. The look on his face suggested that unless the excuse was important in his opinion, she'd be in hot water.

"N-Not exactly… It's c-complicated. I'm sorry, I can't really talk about it. But, of course, I'll work super hard today!" She saluted him, keeping a straight face. He made a disapproving sound.

"Please go and help Miss Frances prepare breakfast."

"Y-You got it, sir!" Bowing forward, she pulled her jacket straight and sprinted downstairs, her skirt ruffling slightly as she ran. Mr Herriman watched his newest employee as she tripped over a smaller friend and squealed, hurriedly apologising.

_Emily Carter…Hmm?_

XXX

"How did the muffins taste, guys?" Emily asked Mac and Bloo nervously, fiddling with the back of her apron. Bloo pulled a face.

"You're definitely not cut out for cooking, Em," he said, shuddering. She sighed gloomily.

"This sucks… Now I'll never be a good bride for Harry…"

"Don't be silly, Emily! You're doing great here! Just… maybe cooking isn't your strongest point," Mac said tactfully, eying his burnt muffin bemusedly.

"I sooooo wanted to try, though," she said, lower lip trembling. "Does that mean that Frankie's going to have to handle all the cooking by herself?"

"Well, why not? That's the way it was in the past," Bloo pointed out. "You can wash the dishes and stuff."

"Boo… I hate dishes…" she pouted, her lower lip sticking out like a puppy.

"Hah, you look like a goofball when you do that!" Bloo spluttered, finding her misfortune hilarious."Oi! That's not funny!" She clenched her fist and raised it, planning to smack him one, when somebody's hand grasped her wrist tightly.

"Getting a bit frazzled, Em?" She turned around, her anger instantly being replaced by girlish happiness.

"H-Harry…!" He blinked blearily, and with a jolt she realised he'd only just woken up. "Oh, honestly, Harry! You gotta wake up sooner or you'll miss out on a lot! It's-"

"Two thirty," Mac put in helpfully, glancing at his watch.

"Even later than I thought!" she scolded, setting his hat upright on his head. "Now go get some cereal. Then I'm gonna put you to work if you think you can loll about all day getting fat!"

"Aww, c'mon, Em…" moaned Harry unhappily. "That's not fair, nobody else has to work!"

"Well aren't you in for a treat, then?" she grinned, pushing him through the doorway to the kitchen.

"This is why you guys should never get engaged to girls who are actually employed!" he called to Mac and Bloo. Emily stuck her tongue out at the door.

"They're awfully childish, considering they'll be getting married next year," Mac murmured. Bloo snickered.

"And you two can shut up as well!" she snapped, blowing up her fringe in frustration. "Argh, to think I have to run down to the chemist later as well… There's no way I'm gonna get any sleep tonight!"

"Why do you have to go to the chemist?" Mac asked, swinging his legs. She sighed deeply.

"I have to go get my dad some painkillers and stuff," she explained, furrowing her brow. "He gets mad when I don't."

"…What's having a dad like?" This question caught her off guard and she stared at the small boy sat in front at her, not quite sure how to answer. He realised this must be difficult for her and flushed. "I, uh, I'm sorry, I-"

"No, it's okay." She took a seat. "Well, I don't know. It depends on the way you think, and what kind of a person your dad is. I mean, my dad used to be great! He'd take me and Harry camping and stuff… We'd have a laugh!" She stared up at the ceiling. "But then he and my mom started fighting, and they both turned to drugs and alcohol. It was goodbye Fun Dad, and… Hello, Wasted Dad. He gets mad a lot now, and he's passed out on the couch a lot of the time, so it's mostly like he's not even there."

"Oh… I don't even know what my dad was like. He died," Mac said, pulling on the bottom of his shirt uncomfortably. "He was a soldier and he went away to this weird place and he never came home. Mom said to Terrence - he's my brother - something about a suicide-something-or-other, whatever that is. But she never told me anything, and she doesn't talk about him. He left when I was two, and we found out he died a few weeks before I made Bloo… I don't know anything about what having a dad even means."

"…Oh, Mac… I'm so sorry…" She bit her lip, eyes wide. "That must be awful. I had a friend once, who lost her parents on the battlefield. It was horrible." He shrugged, eyes dim.

"It's okay. I'm used to everything now. I don't even remember him, so it's fine."

"No, it's not! You should… You should…"

"I should what?" Mac looked up at her, unhappily. "I know you want to be kind, Emily, but you can't do anything to help my situation. Just face up to things." He stood up. "Come on, Bloo. Didn't we agree to go and talk to Jackie? He's probably wondering where we are."

"Uh, yeah…" The two left the room, Bloo glancing back worriedly over his shoulder.

"Oh, man…" She slapped her forehead. "Smooth, Em, really. I'm such an idiot."

"MISS CARTER! Your presence is required in the third floor bathroom! One of the friends has gotten themselves stuck in the drain!" She groaned and stood up.

"MISS CARTER!"

"OKAY, I'M COMING, I'M NOT DEAF!" she yelled back. Emily then turned to Harry, who'd just emerged from the kitchen with his cereal. "Harry, can I trust you to help clear up in here? I need to- never mind, you probably heard the announcement." He kissed her cheek.

"Sure thing, Em. Just try not to get too pissed off, okay?"

"Right." She gritted her teeth and left the room, muttering under her breath.

XXX

"…And then we were in the pool and Bloo was pretending to be a dolphin and scared Eduardo," Mac laughed. Jackie munched on chips and said nothing, then suddenly raised an eyebrow and peered over Mac's shoulder.

"Uhhhh… can we help you, sweet-cheeks?" Mac's eyes widened.

"Did you just call me-"

"Not you!" Jackie waved his hands dismissively. "The blonde chick who's hiding behind the door."

"B-Blonde chick?" Mac turned around to see Emily come out from behind the door, shame-faced. "…Emily? What is it?"

"Oh! Um, nothing, Mac~ Just came to clean up in here!" She pulled out a flimsy duster from behind her and nervously stepped into Jackie's room, wrinkling her nose. "Ew, it smells like aftershave in here."

"What can I say? Men need to shave," Jackie replied, grinning suggestively at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeeeah… right. Okay. Sure." She frowned in confusion and bent over to pull out some dirty laundry from under Jackie's bed. He wolf-whistled and she gasped, face red.

"Your skirt's a little high, sweet-cheeks," Jackie said coolly.

"Oh, you pervert! Stop staring at my panties!" she snapped, glaring at him. Mac flushed, mortified."Jackie, stop it!" he hissed. Jackie grinned.

"Ugh, you're such a brat," she growled, retrieving a sock. "If I didn't need this job so badly I would knock your lights out right now.""You wouldn't," he dared."Oh, wouldn't I? The guy at my last school didn't seem to like it when I broke _his_ nose…"

"Hah! That's where you'll lose out! I don't have a nose!" he stated proudly, hands on his hips. She rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean," she huffed. "I'm not afraid to stuff you in a hoagie and eat you."

"Woah woah woah! That's crazy!" He blanched. "That's a crazy, messed-up mind you got there!"

She grinned at him creepily and continued to pull out items of dusty clothing from under his bed.

"So, Mac. Where's Bloo?"

"Oh, he went to get some snacks," Mac replied nonchalantly."What?" She hit her head off of the bottom of Jackie's bed and groaned, baby-tears springing to her eyes. "Ouch, ouch, ouch…" She rubbed the back of her head and emerged a moment later. "Who let him into the kitchen?"

She knew by now that Bloo and his crazy snack ideas never usually went down well with Mr Herriman, and after her poor performance today trying to pull a pea-sized imaginary friend out of the drains, she was determined to stay in his good books."I'd better go and stop him. I'll try and make you guys something, don't worry." Mac gulped; he didn't want to hurt her feelings or anything, but honestly… hadn't she learned from this morning that they weren't all that fond of her cookery skills?

"Er, that's fine, really-"

She shut the door and sped off, determined to catch Bloo out before he did something she would later regret.

XXX

As she skidded into the kitchen, the first thing she saw was a spilt pint of chocolate milk and Harry desperately trying to clear it up. As he noticed her he shot up like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, Em, I'm sorry, it's just, Bloo, um-""Doesn't matter," she said dismissively, "just clean it up. Where's Bloo?"

"NO! Mac said you can't have chocolate milk!""UHHHHHH!" Bloo and a friend she didn't recognise crashed into the room, wrestling over another carton of chocolate milk. Seeing this was going to end badly, she swiftly pulled the chocolate milk out of Bloo's grip.

"STOP IT! Stand up, right now!" The two got to their feet, still glaring at each other.

"He started it!" Bloo accused, pointing at the pale yellow imaginary friend. "Mac says he can't have chocolate milk, but I came down here and Cheese was trying to grab it! So then I called for Harry to help me tackle him, but Harry started going on about how fighting doesn't solve everything and then Cheese _spilt_ it! So then Harry started freaking out and tried to clean it up, and then Cheese got another one so I had to go and stop him!"

"Nu-uhh!" 'Cheese' said, poking Bloo repeatedly with his index finger.

"All right, enough!" Emily snapped, hands on hips. "Right. You-" She pointed at Cheese, "stay away from the chocolate milk! Mac is the most practical kid I know, and if he tells you that you can't have it, guess what? You obviously can't have it!"

"You-" She pointed at Bloo, "should know that wrestling him obviously isn't going to stop him from wanting what he can't have, so don't even think about going there in the future or you'll have to answer to me!"

And you-" She finally pointed to Harry, "learn to control them better, dammit! Instead of worrying about the dumb milk, stop them trying to kill each other in future!"

"Yes, Ma'am," Bloo sulked, folding his arms.

"Kay, bye, lady," Cheese said simply, before pattering off somewhere.

"Sorry, Mom," Harry sighed, "you should know I'm not cut out for looking after kids."

"Yeah, I really should. Now go and get dressed. It's almost four, and you're still in your pjs."

"Fine." He sloped off, stretching. Emily turned back to the kitchen, sighing at the huge puddle of chocolate milk on the floor.

"Why…?" She slapped her forehead. "Why is it always when I'm on watch…?"

XXX

"Just one more chore, Em. Then you're free," Harry grinned. She sighed happily.

"Yep. Just a trip down to the gardening centre to go and get a new leaf blower. Then what do you want to do?" she giggled. He shrugged and pulled on a hoodie.

"We'll decide on the way back, yeah? I'm coming with you." He grabbed his hat. "Might as well kill some time. It feels like ages since we've taken a walk together."

"Right… I've been so busy once I started coming back here, we haven't been out anywhere. Wanna grab a Mackey D's on the way?"

"Sure." Harry laced his fingers between hers. "It'll be the first one I've had since we were eleven." She feigned shock.

"Whaaat? Man, we need to get some junk food in you, and fast!" She pulled him out of the sitting room towards the door. "Come on, hurry up! I wanna take care of this damn leaf blower so we can get to the food!"

"Don't you have to eat with Mr Herriman or something later? He was ranting on about something like a 'progress meeting', or something." She pulled a face.

"Ew, no. I was told I had to cook tonight, and apparently I'm not very good cooking from scratch… and since, according to Bugs Bunny, 'canned food is not delicate enough for consumption of the imaginary variety'…" She sighed. "…I think eating junk food might be healthier on my part."

"Maybe if you by him a McFlurry he'll go easier on you," Harry suggested, locking the door behind him.

"Doubt it. Poor guy's probably never eaten a McDonald's in his _life_."

The two walked on in silence, passing through the park.

"Remember that one time when we were seven, and my mom took us to the gardening centre cause she ran out of sunflower seeds and wanted to get some for the garden? And we took a shortcut through the alley by the east park entrance cause she got tired after that dog saw your cat ears and we had to run away…" Emily sighed.

"That trip really stressed me out," Harry added, holding onto his hat as a strong gust of wind blew past. "I mean, that was why I got a hat. It was just scary, you know? I thought that dog was going to kill me!"

"It was pretty funny, though. You were screaming like a girl."

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Hey, don't- don't pull on my hat, Em! Not funny! You know there's a puppy over there!"

"Hah, don't _cry_ over it!"

"I'm NOT!"

XXX

"Ahh, finally got that damn leaf blower. I thought we'd be lost in that garden centre _forever_," Emily moaned, rubbing the soles of her aching feet. She'd chosen the worst day to wear flip flops.

"Hey, cheer up." Harry kissed her cheek. "Now we've got the leaf blower, we can head to McDonald's, right? It ain't the end of the world, just cause your feet are tired. I'll give you a piggyback if you want." Her face flushed."No way! I'm wearing a skirt!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him away quickly, still blushing.

"Hey, come on… don't get so worked up." He grinned at her. "No matter how cute it is."

"I'm not cute," she frowned, letting her hair fall loose. She hated having it tied up for too long.

"Oh! Are you two a couple?" They turned around; a woman in a front garden beside them smiled up at them.

"Uh… yeah," Harry grinned sheepishly. "We're getting married next year."

"Oh, how nice! How long have you two known each other?"

"We've been together since I was five," laughed Emily. The woman's smile reached her eyes.

"Aw, childhood sweethearts! How romantic. Say, girl… I remember you having an imaginary friend. Where's he now, huh? At Foster's, I suppose?"

"Um… well, he's right here. He's Harry." She gestured to Harry, who waved nervously. The woman paled.

"You're marrying your… imaginary friend?" she asked carefully. The two nodded slowly, a little worried.

"Um… yes…?" The lady stood up.

"That's… that's incestuous! Creating the man you marry… it's sickening!" she stammered, taking a step back. Emily felt her face drain of colour."Wait… ma'am?" The woman stormed back inside, muttering about 'the craziness of youth today'.

"…Emily… are you okay…?"

XXX

"I can't believe that bitch!" Emily exploded as they locked the door behind them, burgers in hands. She furiously took a bite out of her double cheeseburger. "I mean, what gives? Who died and made _her_ the judge of our romance?"

"G-Guys, what's going on here?" Wilt looked surprised; he'd never seen Emily so angry.

"This stupid woman completely slagged us off for being in love! I mean, what gives her the right to go around shooting her mouth off at everything she doesn't like? The world does not revolve around one person's belief, it revolves around everybody!" She slammed down the cardboard box containing the leaf blower on the floor beside Wilt. "Here's the damn leaf blower.""Uh… all right, thanks, Emily, now don't you worry about that woman, I'm sure she was just a little surprised, that's all-"

"Thanks, Wilt," Harry cut in gently. "Come on, Em, just forget about that chick. Lets go to my room." He slipped an arm around her waist and the two made their way upstairs, silence hanging in the air.

As they reached the top, Mac and Bloo left one of the bedrooms with a look of disgust on their faces.

"Ugh, I hate Dutchess," scowled Mac, "she's so icky."

"Yeah, and she's always such a killjoy…"

"Hey, guys," Harry said, trying for a smile. Mac waved.

"Oh, hey, Harry, Emi- Hey, Emily, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, pushing past them. Mac frowned.

"Uh…""Just- I'll tell you later, okay?"

"Right… okay…" Mac bit his lip as Harry mouthed 'sorry, guys' and followed her up another flight of stairs.

"Guys?" Mac and Bloo turned around to see Wilt standing there, looking uncomfortable.

"Wilt… do you know what Emily and Harry were upset about?"

"Uh… yeah, I guess."

XXX

"Okay, here's the story." Wilt took a deep breath. "About Emily and Harry… they're in love, yeah? But the thing is, not all people feel the relationship between a human and an imaginary friend are okay. Some people think it's really bad. I don't know why, I mean, love is love, right? But, yeah… it's not exactly a common occurrence, but it has happened before. Some people are totally okay with it. Others… not quite as much."

"Yeah, but… what does this have to do with why they were upset? Did somebody say something bad to them?" Mac furrowed his brow. Wilt nodded.

"…Yeah, they did. I don't know what, and if I did know I probably wouldn't be able to repeat it in front of you two. But people feel strongly about what Emily and Harry are going through. Which is why they got a little upset today. They probably don't realise how serious this could be."

"But they're still going through with it, right?" Mac cried. "They can't just forget about getting married because of one mean comment!" Wilt looked pained."I don't know, guys. I mean, I'm not going to say that I don't want them to be happy, because I do. But at the same time, part of me wishes that things didn't have to be so complicated…" He looked up at the two of them. "You guys have never heard about what happened when Emily's parents found out, have you?"

Mac and Bloo shook their heads.

"What… what did happen?" Bloo dared to ask. "You can tell us, right?"

"I guess…" Wilt leaned back. "Well, it was when they were eleven. At least, Emily was, and Harry was roughly that age physically. They'd started getting closer, and the thing is… well, nobody could deny that they were in love. They were just so close, and… nobody here at Foster's minded it - we thought it was cute, but didn't seriously consider what anybody else thought. Thing is, though, Emily's parents found out, and they were already pretty messed up. They saw it as incest - you know, love between siblings? And they really, really hated it. I can't even tell you some of the things that were said. And then Mrs Carter hit Harry."

"Emily's mom hit him?" Bloo breathed, wide-eyed. Wilt nodded solemnly.

"Uh huh. It was terrible; they were both crying, and Mr Herriman had to threaten to call the cops before her parents left. They took Emily with them, even though she wanted to stay with Harry. And then they moved…" He stared down at his hands. "That was the last we heard of them. Harry was devastated. Emily was all he really had, you know? So when she disappeared, he fell into depression. Really bad. You know, that's why we banned Scissors from the sixth floor. We came into Harry's room one day and there was Scissors, all covered in dried blood… it was awful. Nobody could visit him anymore and everyone felt so lonely… Harry used to be the life in the room, you know what I mean? Maybe it's hard to tell at the moment because he's still getting used to being with Emily again, but he used to tell jokes and laugh and really made things fun. Once Emily left… it was like he died."

"That's terrible…" Mac was pale. "How could people be so cruel? There's nothing wrong with a human and an imaginary friend being in love! It's all the same! Nothing matters if it means you love somebody!"

"It's all about points of view," Wilt sighed. "I agree with you completely - I'd be more open about it if it weren't for all the harassment people used to get when they brought up Emily and Harry in the past. There were so many times where we were with you guys and tempted to say, 'this reminds me of that time with Emily and Harry' or, 'I can remember the two love birds saying that'… but if we did, we knew you'd ask about them. And just talking about the subject was painful, even really briefly."

"I had no idea so many people thought like that… That's terrible." Wilt forced on a smile and ruffled Mac's hair.

"Anyway, you two, you shouldn't be feeling sad. Today's a nice day out, you know?""Yeah, but… argh, I'm really sorry, guys, but I have to go home," Mac replied, glancing at his watch in dismay. "It's six, and my mom always gets funny about strangers lurking around nowadays."

"Aww, your mom's a real stick in the mud," Bloo whined. Mac hit him lightly on the head.

"I'd like to see you say that to her face. Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow."

He headed for the front door, deep in thought.

_Don't you worry, Emily and Harry, _he thought to himself. _I'll put an end to this. I promise._

XXX

"Finally done!" Frankie wiped her brow and turned to Emily, who was clearing the plates. "Now, about that whole 'progress thing' Funny-Bunny's forcing you into - just don't sweat it. All he does is state how many times you've been late, how many times you've slacked, how many times you've done a chore badly, and then he just says simply 'but apart from that you've been making average progress'. So don't stress over it, okay?"

"…Right…""Hmm?" Frankie peered closer. "Are you okay, Em? You don't look too hot."

"Just something somebody said today," Emily replied, shrugging off the question. "Nothing I didn't hear when my parents freaked out." Frankie bit her lip; she was wondering how long it would be before the comments started. She gave Emily a half-hug, sighing."Sorry to hear that. Problem is, you're going to meet awkward bitches in every situation, and somebody's always gonna make a mean remark. You just have to look past it. If you truly love Harry, try not to let it bother you. I'm sure if you just ignore it people will get bored and move on.""I know, it's just that I-"

"Miss Carter! You are requested for your Progress Meeting in my office this instant. Please bring my meal up to my office as I will be dining in there tonight."

"Oh, bad luck. Well, here you are. Bon appetit, Bugs." Frankie gave Emily a sympathetic smile and an encouraging pat on the back before tackling the mountains of dishes in the sink.

"Um… I'll see you later." Emily closed the kitchen door behind her and swallowed nervously, before gripping the plate of Mr Herriman's food tightly and heading up the staircase. As she approached his office she cleared his throat.

"Come in." Anxiously she opened the door to see him waiting with a bemused look on his face.

"Um… your dinner, Mr Herriman…" She laid it down in front of him, along with his cutlery and napkin. His gaze fell on it for a moment, before snapping back to her.

"Please sit, Miss Carter." His eyes glinted. "It's time we have a little talk about your progress here at Foster's…"

**A/N: Wow, sorry this chapter was so long. And yes, I did say CHAPTER! It seems this'll be more than just a two-shot now! I don't know if by adding another chapter I've sort of ruined the original intention of this fanfic, but I'm pretty happy with the outcome of this piece. I'm so glad people have asked for me to continue it ^^ I love Emily and Harry now. They feel really close to me.**

**So, to summarise this chapter, we've seen a little into Emily's new job at Foster's, found out the mystery behind Mac's dad, seen Jackie's perverted nature in action, Emily's met Cheese, Em and Harry had some mushy time and bought a leaf blower, some random chick made a nasty prejudiced remark, Wilt revealed Em and Harry's past, and now Emily's about to sit down and endure her first 'Progress Check'. What a chapter.**

**Please review, guys x3 It'd make me really happy.**

**One last time, a-thank you to CheeseVision for all the awesome ideas ^_^**


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